System for discharging dry solids and an associated method thereof

ABSTRACT

A system for discharging dry solids into high pressure environments is disclosed. The system includes a hopper, a feeder device coupled to the hopper, and a discharge device disposed downstream relative to the feeder device. The feeder device includes a rotatable casing including a plurality of pockets, a stationary core disposed within the rotatable casing, and a plurality of valves. Each pocket includes an inlet, an outlet, and a plurality of first through-holes. The stationary core includes a plurality of channels, where each channel includes a plurality of second through-holes. Each valve is disposed at the outlet of a corresponding pocket from the plurality of pockets. The discharge device includes a valve actuator configured to actuate each valve.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application is a divisional of co-pending U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/926,376 filed on Oct. 29, 2015, which isincorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to a method and system for dischargingdry solids, such as incompressible dry solids into a high pressureenvironment.

Continuously discharging low or atmospheric pressure dry solids intohigh pressure environments is generally a difficult task because solidstypically have a high inter-particle volume through which pressurizedfluids used to pressurize the dry solids may flow through, resulting inleakage of the pressurized fluids.

Some conventional systems, for example, a rotary valve system and arotary air-lock system may be configured to rotate about a horizontalaxis while pressurizing dry solids and discharging pressurized drysolids into a high pressure environment. However, such conventionalsystems have limited pressure capability due to deflection of thesystems under high pressure conditions. Further, such conventionalsystems may be susceptible to wear while pressurizing and dischargingabrasive dry solids. Such conventional systems may also lack activeventing (de-pressurizing) after discharging the dry solids into the highpressure environment.

Another conventional feeder system, such as a lock hopper system, may beconfigured to discharge the pressurized dry solids in batch mode. Such aconventional system has a limited pressure capability and may besusceptible to wear while pressurizing and discharging abrasive drysolids.

Accordingly, there is a need for an improved feeder system and anassociated method for pressurizing and discharging dry solids into ahigh pressure environment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

In accordance with one exemplary embodiment, a system for dischargingdry solids is disclosed. The system includes a hopper, a feeder devicecoupled to the hopper, and a discharge device disposed downstreamrelative to the feeder device. The feeder device includes a rotatablecasing having a plurality of pockets, a stationary core disposed withinthe rotatable casing, and a plurality of valves. Each pocket among theplurality of pockets includes an inlet, an outlet, and a plurality offirst through-holes. The stationary core includes a plurality ofchannels, wherein each channel among the plurality of channels includesa plurality of second through-holes. Each valve among the plurality ofvalves is disposed at the outlet of a corresponding pocket from theplurality of pockets. The discharge device includes a valve actuatorconfigured to actuate each valve.

In accordance with one exemplary embodiment, a method for dischargingdry solids is disclosed. The method involves feeding dry solids atatmospheric pressure, from a hopper into a first pocket among aplurality of pockets formed in a rotatable casing of a feeder device.Each pocket among the plurality of pockets includes an inlet, an outlet,and a plurality of first through-holes. The feeder device furtherincludes a plurality of valves, each valve being disposed at the outletof a corresponding pocket from the plurality of pockets. The methodfurther involves driving the rotatable casing about a stationary core ofthe feeder device, which is disposed within the rotatable casing. Thestationary core includes a plurality of channels, each channel includinga plurality of second through-holes. Further, the method involvesinjecting a pressurized fluid from a first channel among the pluralityof channels into the first pocket through the plurality of correspondingsecond through-holes and the plurality of corresponding firstthrough-holes, to generate pressurized dry solids. The method alsoinvolves actuating a corresponding valve from the plurality of valvesthrough a valve actuator of a discharge device, for discharging thepressurized dry solids from the first pocket into the discharge device.The method further involves extracting the pressurized fluid from thefirst pocket through the plurality of corresponding first and secondthrough-holes and the first channel.

DRAWINGS

These and other features and aspects of embodiments of the presentinvention will become better understood when the following detaileddescription is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in whichlike characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hopper in accordance with oneexemplary embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a rotatable casing of a feederdevice in accordance with one exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a rotatable casing and a plurality ofvalves of a feeder device in accordance with one exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a stationary core of a feeder device inaccordance with one exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of a feeder device in accordancewith one exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a discharge device in accordance withone exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a feeder system in accordance with oneexemplary embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the feeder system including a drive unitin accordance with the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of a feeder device in accordancewith the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 7 and 8;

FIG. 10 is a schematic view of a discharge device and a valve inaccordance with the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 7, 8, and 9; and

FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view of a stationary core inaccordance with the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 7, 8, 9, and 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments discussed herein disclose a system, for example, a feedersystem configured to pressurize dry solids and discharge pressurized drysolids into a high pressure environment. The exemplary feeder system isconfigured to rotate about a vertical axis, for example, a central axisfor pressurizing and discharging the dry solids into the high pressureenvironment, such as a pressurized blender of a carbon di-oxide (CO₂)fracturing system. In certain embodiments, the feeder system may beconfigured to continuously discharge the pressurized dry solids into thepressurized blender. The pressurized blender is configured to blend thepressurized dry solids and a liquefied gas to form a mixture beforedelivering to a downstream component of the fracturing system. In someembodiments, the dry solids may be incompressible and abrasive. Incertain embodiments, such a feeder system includes a hopper, a feederdevice coupled to the hopper, and a discharge device disposed downstreamrelative to the feeder device. The feeder device includes a rotatablecasing including a plurality of pockets, a stationary core disposedwithin the rotatable casing, and a plurality of valves. Each pocketamong the plurality of pockets includes an inlet, an outlet, and aplurality of first through-holes. The stationary core includes aplurality of channels, where each channel among the plurality ofchannels includes a plurality of second through-holes. Each valve amongthe plurality of valves is disposed at the outlet of a correspondingpocket from the plurality of pockets. The discharge device includes avalve actuator configured to actuate each valve.

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective side view of a hopper 100 in accordancewith one exemplary embodiment. The hopper 100 has a funnel shape and isconfigured to feed dry solids to a feeder device (not shown in FIG. 1).In the illustrated embodiment, the hopper 100 includes a storage portion102 and a discharge portion 104 coupled to the storage portion 102. Incertain embodiments, the storage portion 102 may receive the dry solidsat atmospheric pressure from a source (not shown in FIG. 1) andtemporarily store the dry solids before discharging to the feeder devicevia the discharge portion 104. The term “atmospheric pressure” may bereferred to as a force exerted by atmospheric air on the dry solids.

The hopper 100 further includes a metering device 106 disposed withinthe discharge portion 104. In certain embodiments, the metering device106 is a valve. The metering device 106 is configured to regulatedischarge of dry solids to the feeder device. Specifically, the meteringdevice 106 is configured to control a flow rate of the dry solids fromthe storage portion 102 to the feeder device via the discharge portion104. The metering device 106 is configured to minimize clogging of thedry solids within the feeder device.

FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic perspective view of a rotatable casing210 of a feeder device in accordance with one exemplary embodiment. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the rotatable casing 210 has a substantiallyconical shape and is configured to rotate about a stationary core (notshown in FIG. 2) of the feeder device.

The rotatable casing 210 includes a plurality of pockets, for example,212 a, 212 b, 212 c, 212 d. Each pocket 212 a, 212 b, 212 c, 212 dincludes an inlet 214, an outlet 216, and a plurality of firstthrough-holes 218. Specifically, the rotatable casing 210 includes afirst outer-peripheral wall 220, a first inner-peripheral wall 222, anda plurality of first partition-walls 224 spaced apart from each otherand extending from the first outer-peripheral wall 220 to the firstinner-peripheral wall 222 to define the plurality of pockets 212 a, 212b, 212 c, 212 d. The first inner-peripheral wall 222 includes theplurality of first through-holes 218 corresponding to each pocket 212 a,212 b, 212 c, 212 d.

The number of pockets may vary depending on the application and designcriteria. During operation, the rotatable casing 210 is configured torotate about a central axis 226 of the feeder system such that eachpocket 212 a, 212 b, 212 c, 212 d moves through a plurality of stages tocontinuously pressurize and discharge pressurized dry solids to a highpressure environment. The plurality of stages includes a i) feedingstage, ii) pressurizing stage, iii) discharging stage, and iv)depressurizing stage. The plurality of stages is explained in greaterdetail below with reference to subsequent figures.

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of the rotatable casing 210 and aplurality of valves 240 in accordance with one exemplary embodiment. Therotatable casing 210 further includes an inlet end 228, an outlet end230 (as shown in FIG. 8), and a plurality of seals 232 coupled to theinlet end 228. Specifically, the plurality of seals 232 is disposed onthe first outer-peripheral wall 220, the first inner-peripheral wall222, and the plurality of first partition-walls 224. More specifically,the plurality of seals 232 includes a first circumferential seal 232 adisposed on the first outer-peripheral wall 220, a secondcircumferential seal 232 b disposed on the first inner-peripheral wall222, and a plurality of rib seals 232 c disposed on the plurality offirst partition-walls 224. In the illustrated embodiment, the inlet end228 is larger than the outlet end 230.

Each valve 240 is disposed at the outlet 216 (shown in FIG. 2) of thecorresponding pocket 212 a, 212 b, 212 c, 212 d. The number of valves240 is dependent on the number of pockets 212 a, 212 b, 212 c, 212 dformed in the rotatable casing 210. In one embodiment, each valve 240 isa ball valve. In other embodiments, the type of valve may vary dependingon the application. The outlet 216 of each pocket 212 a, 212 b, 212 c,212 d has a dimension smaller than a dimension of each valve 240. Aportion of each valve 240 projects outward from the corresponding outlet216 to dynamically seal the corresponding outlet 216 of thecorresponding pocket 212 a, 212 b, 212 c, 212 d.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of a stationary core 250 of afeeder device in accordance with one exemplary embodiment. In theillustrated embodiment, the stationary core 250 has a cylindrical shapeand is configured to supply a pressurized fluid into the rotatablecasing and extract the pressurized fluid from the rotatable casing. Theshape of the stationary core 250 may vary depending on the application.

The stationary core 250 includes a plurality of channels 252 a, 252 b,252 c, 252 d. Each channel 252 a, 252 b, 252 c, 252 d includes aplurality of second through-holes 258. Specifically, the stationary core250 includes a second outer-peripheral wall 260, a secondinner-peripheral wall 262, a plurality of second partition-walls 264spaced apart from each other and extending from the secondouter-peripheral wall 260 to the second inner-peripheral wall 262 todefine the plurality of channels 252 a, 252 b, 252 c, 252 d. The secondouter-peripheral wall 260 includes the plurality of second through-holes258 corresponding to each channel 252 a, 252 b, 252 c, 252 d.

The number of channels may vary depending on the application and designcriteria. As discussed previously, during operation, the rotatablecasing is configured to rotate around the stationary core 250.

The stationary core 250 further includes a first end 268 and a secondend 270 opposite to the first end 268. The first end 268 has a pluralityof inlets 254 corresponding to the plurality of channels 252 a, 252 b,252 c, 252 d. The second end 270 has a closed section 256 (as shown inFIG. 5). The stationary core 250 further includes a first seal 272coupled to the first end 268, a second seal 274 coupled to the secondend 270, and at least two vertical seals 276 spaced apart from eachother and coupled to the first and second seals 272, 274. In theillustrated embodiment, the first and second seals 272, 274 are ringseals. The first and second seals 272, 274 are disposedcircumferentially around an outer surface 278 of the stationary core250. The vertical seals 276 are disposed vertically along the outersurface 278 of the stationary core 250. The first and second seals 272,274 are configured to seal the stationary core 250 from the atmosphericpressure. The vertical seals 276 are configured to isolate a highpressure side of the feeder device from a low pressure side of thefeeder device. The term “high pressure side” refers to a portion of thestationary core 250 configured to inject a pressurized fluid through theplurality of second through-holes 258. The term “low pressure side”refers to another portion of the stationary core 250 configured toextract the pressurized fluid through the plurality of secondthrough-holes 258.

FIG. 5 illustrates a partial perspective view of a feeder device 200 inaccordance with one exemplary embodiment. The feeder device 200 includesthe rotatable casing 210, the stationary core 250, and the plurality ofvalves 240.

The stationary core 250 is disposed within the rotatable casing 210. Therotatable casing 210 includes the plurality of pockets 212 a, 212 b, 212c, 212 d, where each pocket 212 a, 212 b, 212 c, 212 d includes theinlet 214, the outlet 216 (as shown in FIG. 2), and the plurality offirst through-holes 218. The stationary core 250 includes the pluralityof channels 252 a, 252 b, 252 c, 252 d, where each channel 252 a, 252 b,252 c, 252 d includes the plurality of second through-holes 258. Duringoperation of the feeder device 200, the plurality of first and secondthrough-holes 218, 258 are aligned to form a first fluid path 282 and asecond fluid path 284 between the corresponding pocket 212 a, 212 b, 212c, 212 d and the corresponding channel 252 a. 252 b, 252 c, 252 d.

FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of a discharge device 300 inaccordance with one exemplary embodiment. The discharge device 300 isdisposed downstream relative to the feeder device 200 (shown in FIG. 5)and configured to receive pressurized dry solids from the feeder device.The discharge device 300 is a stationary component and configured tointermittently contact the corresponding valve of the feeder deviceduring rotation of the casing.

The discharge device 300 includes a receiving portion 302 and a guideportion 304 coupled to the receiving portion 302. In the illustratedembodiment, the receiving portion 302 has a funnel shape and includes aninlet 306 and an outlet 308. The receiving portion 302 further includesa valve actuator 310 coupled to a peripheral end wall 312 of thereceiving portion 302. The valve actuator 310 is disposed protrudingoutwards from the receiving portion 302. In one embodiment, the valveactuator 310 is a projection.

The valve actuator 310 is configured to actuate each valve of the feederdevice. During operation, the valve actuator 310 contacts the valve andpushes the valve upwards, thereby opening the outlet of thecorresponding pocket and discharging the pressurized dry solids from thefeeder device to the discharge device 300. Then the pressurized drysolids are fed via the guide portion 304 to a high pressure environmentsuch as a pressurized blender of a CO₂ fracturing system.

FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of a feeder system 400 inaccordance with one exemplary embodiment. In one embodiment, the feedersystem 400 may be used for a CO₂ fracturing application. In such anembodiment, the feeder system 400 may be configured to pressurizeproppant and feed a pressurized proppant to a blender containing aliquefied CO₂ fracturing fluid. In certain other embodiments, the feedersystem 400 may be used in a wide range of industrial applications thatrequire feeding dry solids into high pressure environments at high flowrates. Such industrial applications may include chemical processing,pharmaceuticals, food processing, paper and pulp, gasification, and thelike.

The feeder system 400 includes the hopper 100, the feeder device 200,and the discharge device 300 as discussed in the embodiments of FIGS.1-6. The hopper 100 is coupled to the feeder device 200 and thedischarge device 300 is disposed downstream relative to the feederdevice 200. During operation, the hopper 100 is configured to receivedry solids 10 at atmospheric pressure and feed the received dry solids10 to the feeder device 200. The feeder device 200 is configured topressurize the dry solids 10 and discharge pressurized dry solids 20 tothe discharge device 300.

The feeder system 400 further includes a stationary cover 402, apressure source 404, and a vacuum source 406. In the illustratedembodiment, only a portion of the stationary cover 402 is shown tosimplify the illustration of the feeder system 400. The stationary cover402 is configured to substantially cover the inlet end 228 of therotatable casing 210. In certain specific embodiments, the stationarycover 402 is disposed on the plurality of seals 232 coupled to the inletend 228 of the feeder device 200. The stationary cover 402 furtherincludes an opening 108 for feeding the dry solids from the hopper 100to the feeder device 200. The plurality of seals 232 and the stationarycover 402 are configured to seal the rotatable casing 210 fromatmospheric pressure and to isolate the plurality of pockets 212 a, 212b, 212 c, 212 d within the rotatable casing 210.

The pressure source 404 is fluidically coupled to at least one channel252 a, 252 b, 252 c, 252 d of the stationary core 250. The pressuresource 404 is configured to supply a pressurized fluid 30 to at leastone corresponding pocket 212 a, 212 b, 212 c, 212 d of the rotatablecasing 210 through the corresponding plurality of first and secondthrough-holes. In certain embodiments, the pressure source 404 isfluidically coupled to two mutually adjacent channels, for example, 252a, 252 b of the stationary core 250. In one embodiment, the pressuresource 404 is configured to feed compressed air. The type of pressuresource 404 may vary depending on the application.

The vacuum source 406 is fluidically coupled to at least one channel 252a, 252 b, 252 c, 252 d of the stationary core 250. The vacuum source 406is configured to extract the pressurized fluid from at least onecorresponding pocket 212 a, 212 b, 212 c, 212 d of the rotatable casing210 through the corresponding plurality of first and secondthrough-holes. In certain embodiments, the vacuum source 406 isfluidically coupled to another two mutually adjacent channels, forexample, 252 c, 252 d of the stationary core 250.

FIG. 8 illustrates a perspective view of the feeder system 400 includingthe drive unit 408 in accordance with the exemplary embodiment of FIG.7. The feeder system 400 includes a drive unit 408 such as a motorcoupled to the outlet end 230 of the rotatable casing 210. The driveunit 408 is configured to drive the rotatable casing 210 about thestationary core 250 of the feeder device 200. In such embodiments, therotatable casing 210 rotates about the central axis 226 of the feedersystem 400.

During operation, each pocket 212 a, 212 b, 212 c, 212 c moves through aplurality of stages to discharge dry solids at a substantial highpressure into the high pressure environment. The plurality of stagesinclude i) a feeding stage, ii) a pressurizing stage, a dischargingstage, and iv) a de-pressurizing stage. In certain embodiments, the drysolids may be proppant. In some other embodiments, the dry solids mayinclude powdered coals, sand, bio-mass mixtures, sawdust, wood chips,powdered chemicals, and the like.

FIG. 9 illustrates a schematic top view of the feeder device 200 inaccordance with the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 7 and 8. The feederdevice 200 moves through a plurality of stages such as i) a feedingstage 502, ii) a pressurizing stage 504, iii) a discharging stage 506,and iv) a de-pressurizing stage 508. In the illustrated embodiment,during the feeding stage 502, the dry solids 10 at atmospheric pressureare fed from the hopper into the pocket 212 a, for example, of therotatable casing 210 of the feeder device 200. The metering device isused to regulate the feeding of the dry solids from the hopper 100 tothe pocket 212 a. In such an embodiment, the pressure source is actuatedto simultaneously inject a pressurized fluid to the first pocket 212 athrough a corresponding channel 252 a and the corresponding plurality offirst and second through-holes.

The drive unit further drives the rotatable casing 210 about thestationary core 250 such that the first pocket 212 a moves from thefeeding stage 502 to the pressurizing stage 504. As a result, thesubsequent pocket 212 d moves to the feeding stage 502.

During the pressurizing stage 504, for example, the pressure sourceinjects the pressurized fluid to the first pocket 212 a through acorresponding channel 252 b and the corresponding plurality of first andsecond through-holes. The dry solids 10 are pressurized from about 0psig to about at least 80 psig to form pressurized dry solids 20. Thedrive unit further drives the rotatable casing 210 about the stationarycore 250 such that the pocket 212 a moves from the pressurizing stage504 to the discharging stage 506. The pocket 212 b moves from thefeeding stage 502 to the pressurizing stage 504.

During the discharging stage 506, the valve actuator of the dischargedevice opens a corresponding valve 240 of the pocket 212 a fordischarging the pressurized dry solids 20 to the discharge device. Insuch an embodiment, the vacuum source is actuated to simultaneouslyextract the pressurized fluid from the pocket 212 a through acorresponding channel 252 c and the corresponding plurality of first andsecond through-holes. The discharging stage 506 is explained in greaterdetail below with reference to FIG. 10. The drive unit further drivesthe rotatable casing 210 about the stationary core 250 such that thepocket 212 a moves from the discharging stage 506 to the de-pressurizingstage 508. The second pocket 212 b moves from the pressurizing stage 504to the discharging stage 506.

During the de-pressurizing stage 508, the vacuum source continues toextract the pressurized fluid from the pocket 212 a through acorresponding channel 252 d and the corresponding plurality of first andsecond through-holes so as to de-pressurize the pocket 212 a. The pocket212 b moves from the discharging stage 506 to the de-pressurizing stage508.

Similarly, the drive unit is configured to continuously drive therotatable casing 210 for moving each pocket to different stages 502,504, 506, 508 of the feeder system 400.

FIG. 10 illustrates a schematic perspective view of the discharge device300 and the corresponding valve 240 in accordance with the exemplaryembodiments of FIGS. 7, 8, and 9. As discussed previously, during thedischarging stage 506, the valve actuator 310 of the discharge device300 opens the corresponding valve 240 of the pocket 212 a fordischarging the pressurized dry solids 20 to the discharge device 300.Specifically, the valve actuator 310 contacts and pushes thecorresponding valve 240 upwards as indicated by reference numeral 422,to open the outlet end 230 of the pocket 212 a, thereby allowing thepressurized dry solids 20 to discharge from the first pocket 212 a tothe discharge device 300.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the stationary core 250 inaccordance with the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 7, 8, 9, and 10. Inone embodiment, the channels 252 a, 252 b may be referred to as highpressure supply lines, which are configured to supply the pressurizedfluid to the corresponding pockets 212 a, 212 b (shown in FIG. 9). Thechannels 252 c, 252 d may be referred to as vent lines, which areconfigured to extract the pressurized fluid from the correspondingpockets 212 c, 212 d (shown in FIG. 9). In the illustrated embodiment,the plurality of second through-holes 258 includes a first set ofthrough-holes 258 a configured for injecting the pressurized fluid and asecond set of through-holes 258 b configured for extracting thepressurized fluid. The first set of through-holes 258 a is separatedfrom the second set of through-holes 258 b through the at least twovertical seals 276 disposed along the stationary core 250 (shown in FIG.4).

In accordance with one or more embodiments discussed herein, anexemplary feeder system is configured to continuously feed dry solids toa high pressure environment. The feeder system is designed to dischargeincompressible and abrasive dry solids. The feeder system is configuredto rotate about a vertical axis, thereby reducing bending stressesimparted by the pressurized fluid on the outlet side of the device,thereby enhancing pressure capability of the feeder system under highpressure conditions compared to conventional rotary valve devices. Inconventional rotary valve systems, dry solids may get trapped betweenclearances formed between rotor tips and housing body, resulting in wearof the rotor and housing body, and rapid degradation of sealingperformance over time. In accordance with the embodiments of the presentdisclosure, such clearances are eliminated, resulting in less wearcompared to the conventional systems. Further, components, such asvalves, which are also susceptible to wear, are easily replaceable inaccordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

While only certain features of embodiments have been illustrated anddescribed herein, many modifications and changes will occur to thoseskilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appendedembodiments are intended to cover all such modifications and changes asfalling within the spirit of the invention.

1. A system for discharging dry solids, comprising: a hopper; a feederdevice coupled to the hopper, wherein the feeder device comprises: arotatable casing comprising a plurality of pockets, wherein each pocketcomprises an inlet, an outlet, and a plurality of first through-holes; astationary core disposed within the rotatable casing, wherein thestationary core comprises a plurality of channels, each channelcomprising a plurality of second through-holes; and a plurality ofvalves, wherein each valve is disposed at the outlet of a correspondingpocket from the plurality of pockets; and a discharge device disposeddownstream relative to the feeder device, wherein the discharge devicecomprises a valve actuator configured to actuate each valve.
 2. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the hopper includes a metering deviceconfigured to regulate discharge of the dry solids to the feeder device.3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a pressure source coupledto at least one channel and configured to supply a pressurized fluid toat least one corresponding pocket through the corresponding plurality ofsecond and first through-holes.
 4. The system of claim 1, furthercomprising a vacuum source coupled to at least one channel andconfigured to extract a pressurized fluid from at least onecorresponding pocket through the corresponding plurality of first andsecond through-holes.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the rotatablecasing further comprises an inlet end, an outlet end, and a plurality ofseals coupled to the inlet end.
 6. The system of claim 5, wherein thefeeder device further comprises a stationary cover disposed on theplurality of seals, wherein the stationary cover comprises an openingfor feeding the dry solids from the hopper to the feeder device.
 7. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein each valve comprises a ball valve and thevalve actuator comprises a projection.
 8. The system of claim 1, whereinthe stationary core comprises a first end, a second end opposite to thefirst end, a first seal coupled to the first end, a second seal coupledto the second end, and at least two vertical seals spaced apart fromeach other and coupled to the first and second seals.
 9. The system ofclaim 1, further comprising a drive unit coupled to the rotatablecasing.
 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the rotatable casingcomprises a first outer-peripheral wall, a first inner-peripheral wall,and a plurality of first partition-walls spaced apart from each otherand extending from the first outer-peripheral wall to the firstinner-peripheral wall to define the plurality of pockets.
 11. The systemof claim 10, wherein the first inner-peripheral wall comprises theplurality of first through-holes corresponding to each pocket.
 12. Thesystem of claim 10, wherein the stationary core comprises a secondouter-peripheral wall, a second inner-peripheral wall, a plurality ofsecond partition-walls spaced apart from each other and extending fromthe second outer-peripheral wall to the second inner-peripheral wall todefine the plurality of channels.
 13. The system of claim 12, whereinthe second outer-peripheral wall comprises the plurality of secondthrough-holes corresponding to each channel.